The present invention relates to a head slider for a magnetic disk drive unit.
FIG. 6 shows an inner mechanism of a conventional magnetic disk drive unit. The inner mechanism is contained in an enclosure 100. A magnetic disk 102 is included as a storage medium. An arm 104 is moved by an actuator 106. A base end of a suspension 108 is fixed at a front end of the arm 104; a head slider 110 is fixed on a surface of a front end of the suspension 108, which faces the magnetic disk 102.
When data are written or read from the magnetic disk 102, the magnetic disc 102 is rotated by a spindle motor. And, the arm 104 is turned about a shaft 105 by the actuator 106 as seeking action.
The magnetic disk drive unit employs a so-called CSS (Contact Start and Stop) manner. Namely, the magnetic head contacts a surface of the magnetic disk while the magnetic disk is stopped; the magnetic head is slightly floated from the surface of the magnetic disk by an air stream, which is formed when the magnetic disk is rotated. To float the magnetic head, a float pattern for floating the magnetic head is formed on a disk-side face, which faces the surface of the magnetic disk, of the head slider and a tapered section is formed along an inflow end of the head slider, from which the air stream flows into the head slider.
In the CSS-type magnetic disk drive unit, the head slider contacts the surface of the magnetic disk when the rotation of the magnetic disk is stopped. To reduce friction between the magnetic disk and the head slider and to prevent the head slider from tightly contacting the surface of the magnetic disk, projected pads are formed on the disk-side face of the head slider. With this structure, only the pads contact the surface of the magnetic disk while the magnetic disk is stopped. This improved head slider was disclosed in the Japanese Patent Gazette No. 8-69674 (see FIG. 7).
FIG. 7 is an explanation view of the head slider, in which the magnetic disk 102 is rotated and the magnetic head 110 is floated by the air stream, which is formed by rotation of the magnetic disk. Formed there are the projected pads 14 on disk-side face 12 of head slider 10, which contact the surface of the magnetic disk 102 when rotation of the magnetic disk 102 is stopped. The tapered section 16 is formed along the inflow end of the head slider 10. Note that, a head element, which is capable of writing data on and reading data from the magnetic disk 102, is formed at a part xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d of the head slider 10.
By forming pads 14 on the disk-side face 12 of the head slider 10 or 110, only pads 14 contact the surface of the magnetic disk 102, so that contact area between the head slider 10 and the magnetic disk 102 can be reduced and the magnetic head 110 can be easily floated from the surface of the magnetic disk 102.
However, pads 14 slide on the surface of the magnetic disk 102 when the rotation of the magnetic disk 102 is started. With this action, dust particles stuck on pads 14 are scattered by the air stream and stick on the disk-side face 12 of the head slider 10.
These days, high-density magnetic disks are assembled in magnetic disk drive units. Thus, small-sized magnetic heads are required, so that floating clearance between the magnetic head and the surface of the magnetic disk must be narrower. For the narrow clearance, this design is a countermeasure for dust, which is formed by sliding the head slider on the magnetic disk. Since the floating clearance between the head slider and the surface of the magnetic disk must be precisely adjusted, the floating clearance is apt to deviate from a predetermined allowable range due to dust on the disk-side face of the head slider.
An object of the present invention is to provide a head slider, which is capable of solving the disadvantages of the conventional head sliders and capable of producing a precise and reliable magnetic disk drive unit.
The head slider of the present invention is assembled in a magnetic disk drive unit and is capable of floating from a surface of a magnetic disk by an air stream, which is formed between the rotating magnetic disk and a disk-side face of the head slider and whose direction is varied according to positions on the magnetic disk. The head slider has:
a float pattern formed on the disk-side face, the float pattern forming the air stream on the surface the rotating magnetic disk; and
a pad formed on the disk-side face and separated from the float pattern, a top end of the pad being projected from the float pattern so as to contact the surface of the magnetic disk when rotation of the magnetic disk is stopped,
wherein the float pattern is located outside of a range of a flowing air stream disturbed by the pad, which is on the downstream side of the disturbed air stream with respect to the pad.
In the head slider, the float pattern may be formed along an inflow end of the disk-side face, from which the air stream flows onto the disk-side face, and another float pattern may be formed at a center part of an outflow end of the disk-side face, from which the air stream flows out from the disk-side face, like an island.
By employing the head slider of the present invention, sticking particles, which are formed and stuck on the pad when the head slider slides on the surface of the magnetic disk on the float pattern, which is formed on the disk-side face of the head slider, can be prevented. In This manner, the floating clearance of the magnetic head can be highly adjusted, producing a highly precise and reliable slider.